A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
13 journalers for this copy...
blurb: "'Two years after my mother died, my father fell in love with a glamorous blonde Ukranian divorcee. He was eighty-four and she was thirty-six. She exploded into our lives like a fluffy pink grenade, churning up the murky water, bringing to the surface a sludge of sloughed-off memories, giving the family ghosts a kick up the backside.'
Sisters Vera and Nadezhda must put aside a lifetime of feuding to save their émigré eingineer father from voluptuous gold-digger Valentina. With her proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, she will stop at nothing in her pursuit of Western wealth.
But the sisters' campaign to oust Valentina unearths family secrets, uncovers fifty years of Europe's darkest history and sends them back to roots they'd much rather forget."
I will offer this as a bookring:
keksi2 (Karlsruhe, Germany / ship Europe)
GlitterLover (Farncombe, UK) skipped, has obtained a copy
kinedi (Edinburgh, UK / ship Europe)
DianeO (Chesterfield, UK / ship int'l)
JudeK (Scarborough, UK / ship int'l)
AliceF (Coventry, UK / ship UK)
baileybird (Brighton & Hove, UK / ship int'l)
Shimmy-crazy (Ashford, UK / ship int'l)
katayoun (Tehran, Iran / ship int'l)
Hengameh (Tehran, Iran / ship int'l)
bakerwhencan (San Francisco, USA / ship int'l)
Goddess-of-Fire (Walnut Grove, MO, USA / ship pref US, int'l if needed)
Marloes1980 (The Hague, Netherlands)
Back to Fifna, I will ship abroad again (Leiden, Netherlands)
whitequeen (Ipswich, Australia / ship int'l) <=== book is here
Brujula (Belfort, France / ship Europe)
orange-platypus (Baldock, UK, / ship UK)
thursoexile (Newry, UK / ship Europe)
starflash (Crawley, UK / ship pref Europe, int'l surface mail if needed)
Miloute (Berlin, Germany / ship pref Europe, can do int'l)
...
back to Fifna (Leiden, Netherlands)
This ring has now started, but new participants are welcome!
Sisters Vera and Nadezhda must put aside a lifetime of feuding to save their émigré eingineer father from voluptuous gold-digger Valentina. With her proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, she will stop at nothing in her pursuit of Western wealth.
But the sisters' campaign to oust Valentina unearths family secrets, uncovers fifty years of Europe's darkest history and sends them back to roots they'd much rather forget."
I will offer this as a bookring:
keksi2 (Karlsruhe, Germany / ship Europe)
GlitterLover (Farncombe, UK) skipped, has obtained a copy
kinedi (Edinburgh, UK / ship Europe)
DianeO (Chesterfield, UK / ship int'l)
JudeK (Scarborough, UK / ship int'l)
AliceF (Coventry, UK / ship UK)
baileybird (Brighton & Hove, UK / ship int'l)
Shimmy-crazy (Ashford, UK / ship int'l)
katayoun (Tehran, Iran / ship int'l)
Hengameh (Tehran, Iran / ship int'l)
bakerwhencan (San Francisco, USA / ship int'l)
Goddess-of-Fire (Walnut Grove, MO, USA / ship pref US, int'l if needed)
Marloes1980 (The Hague, Netherlands)
Back to Fifna, I will ship abroad again (Leiden, Netherlands)
whitequeen (Ipswich, Australia / ship int'l) <=== book is here
Brujula (Belfort, France / ship Europe)
orange-platypus (Baldock, UK, / ship UK)
thursoexile (Newry, UK / ship Europe)
starflash (Crawley, UK / ship pref Europe, int'l surface mail if needed)
Miloute (Berlin, Germany / ship pref Europe, can do int'l)
...
back to Fifna (Leiden, Netherlands)
This ring has now started, but new participants are welcome!
Sent the book to keksi2 today, happy travels!
Caught in the mail today. Thanks a lot fifna for this ring, I´m really looking forward to reading this book!
I have one ring before it (that I´m halfway through with) and will probably get started on this one next week.
I have one ring before it (that I´m halfway through with) and will probably get started on this one next week.
This was great! I could so picture each of the characters, they really came alive for me (especially the would-be glamorous Valentina), and the story was very believable, funny and touching. All throughout the book, I did´t know if I could hope for a happy ending, and what could be a happy ending :-)
PMed GlitterLover twice for their address without response and an ISO didn´t bring any results either, so I´ll PM kinedi now.
Edit Aug 21st:
Off to kinedi!
PMed GlitterLover twice for their address without response and an ISO didn´t bring any results either, so I´ll PM kinedi now.
Edit Aug 21st:
Off to kinedi!
Book arrived safely in Scotland. Thanks for posting Keksi2 and for including such a wonderful bookmark too. Have already started reading in the bus this morning on my way to work and it cheered me up no end already !
I totally agree with keksi2 as the characters were all very human and likeable and you can easily identify yourself with some of their character traits. I liked Nadia's inner dialogues (I do the very same) and her attempts to understand why her big sister is the way she is and vice versa. I sometimes felt sorry for the old man and kept wondering what if that had been my Dad..I *did* love the ending though :o) The author being Ukrainian herself did a great job capturing some of her native country's history as well as being not too serious about living in the UK and all the wonderful things we have here in the rich west :o)
All in all, it was a great read and I thank Fifna for organising this ring. Have now PMd Diane0 for her address and hope to send book on next week.
All in all, it was a great read and I thank Fifna for organising this ring. Have now PMd Diane0 for her address and hope to send book on next week.
Released 17 yrs ago (9/7/2006 UTC) at
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
On its way to the next reader DianeO. Happy Reading
On its way to the next reader DianeO. Happy Reading
Journal Entry 8 by DianeO from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Thursday, September 14, 2006
Received today - thanks! Just have one book to finish ahead of this, so should be able to start this weekend.
Nearly finished, have asked JudeK for her address, and will add my opinion soon!
Journal Entry 10 by DianeO from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Thursday, October 5, 2006
In terms of understanding the plight of one particular immigrant family, and their reasons for seeking a better life in the West, it was both poignant and enlightening. A lovely book! I have JudeK's address and will send ASAP.
Journal Entry 11 by DianeO at -- Controlled Release in Chesterfield, Derbyshire United Kingdom on Friday, October 6, 2006
Released 17 yrs ago (10/6/2006 UTC) at -- Controlled Release in Chesterfield, Derbyshire United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Journal Entry 12 by JudeK from Scarborough, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Thursday, October 12, 2006
I have received book, thank you. Just in the middle of a book so will hope to start it next week. Sounds like a good read. Will check website to see who is after me.
Judith
Judith
Journal Entry 13 by JudeK from Scarborough, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Friday, October 27, 2006
Really enjoyed this book. Will pm AliceF to send on this next week.
Journal Entry 14 by ARTurner from Coventry, West Midlands United Kingdom on Friday, November 3, 2006
Ooh... I've stopped myself from buying this three times now... definitely looking forward to reading it: thanks!
Journal Entry 15 by ARTurner from Coventry, West Midlands United Kingdom on Sunday, December 31, 2006
Finished last night: very, very entertaining! Have emailed next person for her address.
Journal Entry 16 by ARTurner from Coventry, West Midlands United Kingdom on Wednesday, February 21, 2007
On its way by post today to baileybird: sorry for the delay!
Journal Entry 17 by baileybird from Brighton & Hove, East Sussex United Kingdom on Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Arrived at the end of last week safe and sound thanks AliceF! Will put this straight to the top of Mount TBR and get to it right after my current book :0)
Journal Entry 18 by baileybird from Brighton & Hove, East Sussex United Kingdom on Sunday, March 18, 2007
Finished this book today, it was nothing like I expected (although with a title like that what can you expect!?). I thought the author created some excellent eccentric characters that really came alive for me, and similarly described some brilliantly comical scenes. Valentina in particular was both ruthless, larger than life, tender (yes sometimes!) and funny. However, I must say that sometimes I found the sections of the father's great work on tractors a bit of an intrusion, and found it hard to get back into the flow of the story. I would have been interested to know more about the history of the characters as I felt this was tantalisingly offered up but never really fulfilled. I did however enjoy the gradual coming together of the two sisters...
All in all an interesting and comical book, thanks for sharing fifna!
Have Pm'd next person for their address.
All in all an interesting and comical book, thanks for sharing fifna!
Have Pm'd next person for their address.
Journal Entry 19 by baileybird from Brighton & Hove, East Sussex United Kingdom on Friday, March 23, 2007
Off in the post to shimmy-crazy today!
Journal Entry 20 by Shimmy-crazy from Finchley, Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, March 26, 2007
It arrived this morning, have a couple of other books before it but am looking forward to reading it ASAP
Journal Entry 21 by Shimmy-crazy from Finchley, Greater London United Kingdom on Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Found it very entertaining. Appologies for taking so long to journal this been a bit rubbish with time lately, finaly posted to katayoun this morning (13/06/07)
thanks so much, the books is here and i would be startig it shortly. thanks for the postcard too!
have started reading the book, will be back :)
so, so sorry. :( i am usually way better than this, well don''t no better but faster, it''s just this time life got in the way and i had a couple of trips that were non-reeading wise and then a project deadline and now hengameh is away for a week and i''ll be gone again for 3 weeks, and so won''t be able to give hengameh this book sooner that end of august, i am sooooooo sorry and apologize most whole heartedly, as i said i am not usually this bad, but sometime it happens!!
on the book side, a most beautiful book and i enjoyed it immensely though can''t say that i understood them all the time :) thanks and just wish that this ring had got to me in a more happier circumstances, thanks.
on the book side, a most beautiful book and i enjoyed it immensely though can''t say that i understood them all the time :) thanks and just wish that this ring had got to me in a more happier circumstances, thanks.
thanks so much for waiting and the book (and i :)) are back and i've handed it over to hengameh last night. and about the book, it was a very, very good read, it flowed and had an interesting story and finished as great as it started. thanks so much for the chance at reading it, and again sorry for the delays.
the book is here and i'm going to start it today. thanks for sharing.
i really wanted to read this book. thanks for sharing. i liked it. it was simple and funny.and believe me sometimes sad.
i'll contact bakerwhencan for her/his address.
i'll contact bakerwhencan for her/his address.
Arrived! Thank you for sending, Hengameh. Will be back with a report! I have a few other reads before this.
Journal Entry 29 by bakerwhencan at To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, March 14, 2009
Released 15 yrs ago (3/14/2009 UTC) at To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Mailed to Goddess of Fire today. Sorry to everyone for the extreme hold up of this book.
Rowena
Mailed to Goddess of Fire today. Sorry to everyone for the extreme hold up of this book.
Rowena
This arrived yesterday. I have another book in front of it, but I'll get to it as soon as possible.
Thanks
Thanks
Overall, I found this book to be very entertaining. Once I got into it, it was difficult to put it down. Thanks for sharing! :)
-Update: After no response from Marloes1980, I am PMing whitequeen again. 5/10/09
-Update: After no response from Marloes1980, I am PMing whitequeen again. 5/10/09
Arrived safely in Australia. Thanks Goddess-Of Fire!
I'd almost forgotten I was on this bookring, so it's a lovely surprise. I'm looking forward to reading it.
So where is it going next? Looks like France...What a well travelled book!
I'd almost forgotten I was on this bookring, so it's a lovely surprise. I'm looking forward to reading it.
So where is it going next? Looks like France...What a well travelled book!
Goodness, thanks for the reminder janna2.
Where is this book? Did I post it?
Imagine me frantically searching the book piles and shelves.
I will find it...I will!
So sorry for the delay. I'll let you know when it's on its way again.
Where is this book? Did I post it?
Imagine me frantically searching the book piles and shelves.
I will find it...I will!
So sorry for the delay. I'll let you know when it's on its way again.
